damned_institute | M1-M10 Hall, Outside M5, Nightshift 22

Though being "relieved of duty" was an accurate phrase for most soldiers, for Riza it wasn't much of a relief. But when the brigadier general set his hand on her shoulder, she did not ignore him. After all, with a weapon he could act immediately rather than alert others first.

His remark concerning alchemy, though, didn't suit her as much. Had she telegraphed her interest so plainly? Had anyone else noticed?

Nevertheless she nodded shortly to him and turned towards the group a little more, her attention still divided between it and the hallway, where Alfons Heiderich was hurrying away. It wasn't that she didn't trust the brigadier general to keep watch on his own; rather, she did not think it would be wise to allow herself to watch her commander too closely.

When he was finally finished, two knives where a jumble of metal had been, she remembered what Lust had told her about abilities being weakened here, and she fought the urge to crouch down next to him where he leaned against the wall. She could only remain watchful, her concern heavily veiled in the presence of antagonists.

Severus hesitated in his approach. A young woman with blonde hair seemed to be standing watch as the group prepared for...a spell? The presence of wizards gave him a split second pause. What were their loyalties? The Dark Lord or Albus? He could not risk his position as a spy.

He stopped a good few paces from the group and attempted to look somewhat older than he was; less threatening but cautious.

Looking at the blonde woman, he cleared his throat softly. "Excuse me, miss?"

Maes didn't protest when Alfons slipped off - as long as he was meeting with someone, that was what mattered. At least the hallway seemed rather clear of creatures - for now.

As soon as Royw as done, hopefully the two brothers would head out. And Riza... was currently being approached by a man that Maes didn't know. He looked a little on the hesitant side - must be new. If he was competent and a friend - or at least ally - then Riza would be set, and he and Roy could quite possibly get a bit of time to themselves.

Possibly.

He kept quiet, just watching to see what would happen.

Kadaj watched the blond go with a small smirk on his face, glad to see him go even though he really knew nothing about him. He'd seemed polite at least, but that was hardly enough to excuse him for existing.

To Yazoo, he said distractedly, "None of that, don't worry." He was getting anxious to get going now, worried about how their relatively late arrival would be received by Sephiroth. He didn't expect anything terrible, just annoying, especially if the man interpreted it as incompetence on his part. Hmph.

He was glad he was still looking in the direction the blond had gone when Roy did his work, because all of that light would have ruined his night vision. He turned back once it was gone, taking in the sight of the two blades and the alchemist in a single glance. Unsurprisingly, his first impulse was to mock him, but the need to maintain a relatively good rapport with him made him say instead, "Thank you, Roy. You've been very helpful." See? He could play nice.

He made no move to go check on the man more closely, though, figuring one of his friends would take care of it. Instead he snapped his gaze back to his brother and gave him a significant look before turning away. "We should be going now, unfortunately-- such a pity we didn't get to stay and chat, but maybe we could try that tomorrow. Yazoo, shall we? And don't forget to say 'thank you' to the nice man." It was a miracle he managed not to giggle at that too, but it was just as well that he was facing away from them at that moment. Really, he just couldn't help himself.

The display had been quite the impressive one, Yazoo immediately reaching down to take the blades once the alchemist had finished. They weren’t as elegant as he had hoped, but at least he was now well armed, and for that he was glad.

He rolled his eyes at Kadaj’s little statement and looked at where Roy was leaning against the wall. “Thank you, for the daggers,” he said with a small nod of his head. He crouched to gather up the now empty makeshift bag, using it to carry his new daggers and other supplies, and looked at the alchemist once more, adding, “And take it easy for a bit, hm?”

That was all he said before and, with a nod to the others, set off down the hall to exit the cell block.

[[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/83903.html).]]

All Roy did in response to Kadaj's words and his brother's thank you was give a small nod. He did appreciate that they were at least grateful - he could have easily refused them, after all. And while it would be nice to take it easy, there were things he still had to get done this night.

As he continued to try to control his breathing, he lifted his head and his eyes set on the stranger who was speaking to Hawkeye of all people. Did they know each other? It was doubtful. The man looked confused, which meant that he probably had some questions. Perhaps Hawkeye had looked the most approachable for whatever reason.

It didn't mean Roy was completely trustworthy. He remained seated, mainly because he wasn't certain his legs could support his weight at the moment, and watched the man carefully. Hopefully he could ask his question and be on his way, seeing that he had important news to divulge to Hughes and Hawkeye.

She was somewhat surprised that the approaching stranger addressed her, and for a moment she wasn't certain how to respond. In the company of the patients she'd met thus far, she'd adopted a friendlier, more conversational demeanor, but in the presence of higher-ranking officers she could not adopt that demeanor again. Without the uniforms, without even the state itself, it was perhaps inappropriate to maintain a military protocol, but she found it particularly necessary.

Though she regretted losing sight of the colonel where he remained against the wall, she turned to face the polite stranger more fully, her voice firm but willing to serve. "What can I do for you, sir?"

Severus glanced at the group, then back at the woman he had addressed. It was a motley crew, to say the least and he took a mental moment to prepare his question. Information then escape. His constant mantra now. He did not know if he could trust these apparent wizards, but they did not need to know that.

"I need to know where and what this place is." He glanced at the dark-haired man against the wall, and adopted a somewhat troubled expression. It was like no magic he had seen, but maybe it was another form. The young lady's accent had been foreign.

"Those aren't exactly easy questions." Maes offered the long haired man a small smile before he moved over to stand beside Roy, a silent offer of help should Roy need it. He glanced at Riza and shrugged, more than willing to offer up the explanations. He'd done it more times than he could count now.

"I guess you just got here today, huh?"

As he was speaking, Maes was sizing the man up - discreetly, of course. There was something about him that the soldier just couldn't put his finger on. Something almost familiar about the way he held himself and the way he spoke. Not specifically familiar, not as though he'd seen the man before, but a more general familiarity - as though he reminded Maes of someone else.

But with all the people he'd been meeting lately, everyone started to remind Maes of everyone else.

"I'm Brigadier General Maes Hughes," he said, finally offering his name. "This is Colonel Roy Mustang and First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, Amestris Military." This man hadn't asked any questions about what Roy had just done - was he familiar with alchemy? And by extension, Amestris?

It seemed that Hughes and Hawkeye were going to handle the information-giving, but Roy didn't see any reason why he couldn't pitch in as well, having been stuck in this place the longest out of the three of them.

He was sick of being on the floor, however, especially in the presence of a stranger. Roy always did his best to make a good first impression, so signs of weakness were not acceptable. He realized the same way Hawkeye did that this was not the military, but it was ingrained in him by now.

Tilting his head to glance back at the wall, he placed his right palm flat against it and leaned as he started to force himself up to his feet. It took some effort, but he made it - even if he had to stay leaned against the wall afterward.

"During the day it masquerades as a mental hospital, but at night, the only time patients have to search for an exit, it's invaded by creatures that should by no means exist." They were unnatural creations, most likely more remnants of the Head Doctor's sick experiments.

She glanced at her commander furtively not only to assure herself of his condition, but to see that she had leave to speak. It wasn't so much formal permission she was looking for, just a certainty that she was not interrupting. She brought her attention back to the newcomer, adding only what had not been answered, yet still feeling an inadequate source of knowledge just yet. "The location is not clear. We don't have access to any points of reference outside of this place."

There was also the matter of when, and when made something of a difference to her and her world. She thought better of mentioning it, however. It was only natural that different worlds would follow arbitrarily different time lines. That the year of this place had any connection to the year of her home was only a guess on her part.

That did complicate the location issue, however, and so she went on after her pause. "In fact, the people here come from very different places. We could be truly anywhere now."

Severus raised an eyebrow at the information. Mental institution? Monsters? Military? These people talked like muggles, though they were obviously different from the everyday people he had run into in England. That spell they had done...Hmmmm.

His raised eyebrow became a scowl and assessed his current companions. The man who had been sitting on the floor seemed to be the unofficial - or maybe official, if the military remarks were true - leader of this little band. The other man, Hughes, had been friendly, though somewhat piercing in his gaze. All in all, their answers had brought up only more questions. He knew he was not crazy, at least not yet. Perhaps a plot? But by who? For what purpose? His scowl deepened.

"I see." A small pause, and he decided to share a bit about himself. Possibly draw them in, get more information, make allies. Things to help keep himself alive. "As for your observation Mr...General Hughes, yes. I arrived only a few hours ago." Another short pause. "If I may be so bold, what spell were you performing just now?" He tried to not grit his teeth. All this polite conversation was beginning to make him edgy. People who used politeness and smiles always hid deeper secrets.

Well, that explained a couple of things, as far as Maes was concerned. He wasn't familiar with alchemy, he thought it was magic. He supposed it was an easy mistake for people who came from magic-rich worlds - and there certainly were a lot of those, in Maes's experience.

"Well, you'll get used to things around here pretty quick. Unfortunately. No one's escaped yet, as far as any of us know. And not for lack of trying. You seem like the kind of guy that can probably take care of himself - you'll want to get yourself armed as soon as possible." Hughes pulled off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt, a perfectly needless gesture intended only to disarm and put at ease.

This guy seemed pretty controlled, and was certainly dealing with that was pretty crazy information well.

"And I'll leave Roy to give you the run down on alchemy, that's his area of expertise, not mine. But I will warn again about nights around here - they're dangerous. You got a name, by the way?"

Catching Hawkeye's gaze, even if she perhaps hadn't meant for him to, Roy returned her silent inquiry with a nod. She should have known by now that she didn't need permission, but at the same time he was glad that she felt the need to request it, however discreetly. It had been so long since he'd truly felt like he had any military title.

Speaking of which, it was still odd to hear Hughes called by a title higher than his own. It didn't make it much easier when he knew why he'd been afforded that title in the first place.

Yet another person thinking his alchemy was magic? Hopefully the man could do some 'magic' himself - then he wouldn't even have to worry about getting armed. "As he says, it's alchemy. It's based on chemical reactions - taking materials and using an array to reform it into something else. What I did just now was form metal scalpels into two short daggers."

Figuring he would take a chance, he tried to stand without the support of the wall. When he almost lost his balance, he was forced to grab Hughes' shoulder for support. He sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "The catch is that in this place, everyone's powers are weakened. If you can do any magic, keep in mind that it won't be as strong as you're used to and it's going to tire you out, even if it never did before."

Though she wasn't watching him, she saw him nearly fall out of the corner of her eye, and though her weight shifted in his direction, she managed to stop short of taking that step towards him. If he'd actually fallen, she'd have caught him, but with the brigadier general so close to him, her concern was not needed.

She was glad she hadn't moved.

Forcing her attention to the stranger, she had nothing more to add. She was somewhat intrigued that he had called the reaction a "spell," but she kept her curiosity silent. She wasn't certain, after all, how much time the colonel and brigadier general were willing to afford the man--or for that matter, Riza herself. But she trusted she'd know it when her presence was no longer needed or desired, even if nothing might be said about it.

He couldn't help the bubble of fury that grew at the idea that somehow his magic had been dampened. It almost made him want to take out his wand right there and start experimenting. A deep breath, a clenched fist, and then he took control over his emotions again.

They could be lying, he realized. Though, as far as he could tell, at this point there was no advantage to doing so. For now, he would concentrate on the rest of the coversation.

So they were working with alchemy. Or at least, that is what they called it. And from the looks, it had taken a great deal of energy out of the other man. Severus was getting the feeling that his life had just taken another turn for the worse. Or at least, a turn for the stranger, and more dangerous, than he was used to.

He had questions about the alchemy, but those could wait for a more appropriate time.

With a nod to Hughes, he introduced himself. Somewhat. "My name is Severus Snape."

"Hey, take it easy." Hughes kept his voice hushed, for Roy's ears only. There was no need for Roy to overdo it any further, after all.

"Well, welcome to Landel's, Mr. Snape. I wish we had better news for you." He shrugged, sadly. "You might want to try using the bulletin board tomorrow, to see if anyone you know is here."

It was the best suggestion Hughes had for the man.

"For tonight, you should either stay in and test your own limits so they don't take you by surprise, or find people to move around with. It's not safe to go out alone at night."

It seemed that things were finally getting wrapped up, so hopefully they could get on with things as planned. First, Roy needed to finally tell Hughes (and Hawkeye, there was nothing wrong with her knowing) about what had happened last night.

He could only do that once he was certain they were alone. It might be best to move into a room, considering how exhausted he still felt.

"Good luck," he added, one last remark of good will. He was merciful enough to not add "You'll need it" to that statement.

He nodded to Hughes - he'd do his best not to push himself, but he wasn't making any promises - he relinquished his grasp on the man's shoulders. He was definitely shaky on his feet, but he could at least stand in one place without collapsing.

"We might want to get a room," he remarked with a sigh. It would only waste more time, but it might be the advisable move at the moment.

With the colonel's suggestion, she hoped Severus Snape would understand their haste. Were she alone, she might have made just such a remark to the man, but it wasn't her place to do so. Instead, she made a slight but polite bow to him to excuse herself. In truth, she was only stepping a pace or two away as she faced her superiors, but even this short distance would have been rude without the gesture. Still, she was not so close to them that it would be very awkward for them to exclude her.

The colonel seemed better, now that she could see him plainly, but she was still concerned, and she let her expression show it in the smallest amount.

Were they moving to the brigadier general's room? The door he'd exited with the blond boy was still the nearest to them.

He narrowed his eyes briefly at the three in front of him, realizing that they were purposefully trying to get rid of him. At least it didn't seem out of rudeness, or more nefarious reasons. They just didn't know him. And they were also right, if it was true that this place dampened any magical abilities, he was going to have figure out what his limits were. And fast.

Returning the short bow he turned away and began trying to think up a plan.

"Take care," Maes called after Severus, nodding to the man's retreating back. He turned to Roy and gave the man an appraising look before nodding once more.

"Come on, we can use my room." He turned back to his door and pulled it open, holding it for the other two. His room was the same as everyone else's, now with two beds instead of one. "My roommate's gone, he's a pretty good guy. Didn't seem too overwhelmed by this stuff, took it as well as anybody I've seen." Idle conversation. This wasn't the evening that Maes had envisioned. Certainly it had involved Roy and his bedroom, but Riza hadn't exactly been in the picture.

Not that Maes really minded - important things needed to be taken care of first, after all.

"Make yourselves comfy."

With the new patient taken care of, it seemed that they could finally get down to the point. Roy stared at the open door. It really wasn't far too move, and yet he didn't much like the idea of taking one step knowing that there was a possibility he wouldn't be able to hold his weight.

He couldn't just stand there, though, and he certainly wasn't going to ask either Hughes or Hawkeye for help. (Even if he knew both of them would gladly lend a hand, he wasn't one to ask for aid. He might take it if it was offered, but...)

Closing his eyes and sighing, he steeled himself and took a step. He managed it well enough. Now the trick was making sure he could keep it up until he reached Hughes' bed where he could sit down. Or maybe even lay down. Sleep sounded wonderful right now...

But no. There were things to be done, tired as he was.

Stubborn colonel.

She stepped forward as though meaning to enter the room, but stopped at the colonel's side, making no glance and no comment that would refer to the support she was offering him. She merely kept her focus in front of her as she finally felt his hand, and then a little of his weight, on her shoulder, and it was only then that she proceeded at his pace across the threshold. She knew the brigadier general would have done the same (more or less) were he not holding the door, and once inside she let him guide them to the correct bed.

Riza wasn't the type to make herself 'comfy' with such company, and so she waited a moment with her hands behind her back. If the brigadier general took the chair on his side of the room, she'd either continue standing or take the other chair. Though, given the long-standing friendship between the two, she half-expected him not to take the chair at all.

Maes did take the chair, moving it by the bed and turning it to sit. He glanced at Riza and gestured to the other furniture in the room.

"Have a seat, you don't need to stand on ceremony around here," he said, giving her a small wink. She was always so professional - and Maes did appreciate that. But they weren't in Amestris and they weren't in uniform and their titles and medals and ranks meant nothing here.

"Alright Roy, so what's the big news? Elena told me a little bit about what you guys did last night, but I'd really like to hear it from you." Not that he didn't trust Elena - he did, completely - but she was a teenage girl and wasn't exactly versed in giving reports.

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